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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-08-2014 09:18 PM

wyoung2153

Quote:

Originally Posted by martemchik

Absolutely they should've been truthful with you, expecially because you asked. But I'm just pointing out why they might not have been. And I generally do trust people and think they have the best intentions in mind, but there's always a little bit of me that understands the business side of things and the need to make money. Sometimes, those businesses also have a hard time separating the regular pet owners from the more advanced ones.

I understand that. I guess we live and we learn. I'm not nearly as upset as I was that day. I tend to calm down and thing rationally after a little bit, lol. I do understand it's a business, just very disappointing when you think you found a great facility and turns out it's not what you thought you know?

02-08-2014 01:50 PM

Freestep

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liesje

While we were gone, I got this frantic message from my sister that when she tried to pick up Kenya they were asking her to pay. Mind you my sister was in high school at the time, she didn't have the $$$ or a credit card. That was annoying since I'd pre-paid and asked them that it was OK my sister pick up my dog and not be charged.

That's likely an honest mistake, because most boarding facilities ask that you pay when you pick up. I've been guilty of the same thing once, when the owner pre-paid and someone else picked up the dog, I had simply forgotten that it was pre-paid and so the person wrote a check. The owner called me and said "I'm pretty sure I already paid you..." and then I realized my mistake, and ripped up the check. I felt bad about that, but humans make mistakes, and the owner did not seem upset.

Quote:

I found this note from one of the kennel staff saying she had sat with my dog and brushed the prickers out of her fur. It was like the note implied I'd dropped off a ratty dog. My dog had never had prickers in her fur, we lived in the city and our yard was a normal lawn, fenced. I was/am active in training, showing, trialing dogs so I always keep them cleaned, brushed, and well groomed. If she got prickers, it was at their facility. Nothing major but for the price that place charged I was a bit annoyed that they tried to charge my sister and got prickers in my dog's fur.

See, now I would have thought that having a staff member brush your dog was a GOOD thing. Most boarding facilities don't do any kind of grooming during the dog's stay. I imagine that the prickers come from a play yard or field where the dogs can exercise, again, a good thing.

I'm not actually sure what "prickers" are, but where I live, we do constant battle with weeds and sometimes when dogs run outside they get stuff stuck in their fur. I am always careful to go over the dog before it goes home, to make sure the coat is in good shape and free of debris. I always thought that was expected, it didn't occur to me that someone would take offense or become annoyed that I took the time to groom their dog, and not charge extra for it. Plus the fact that they kept notes on the dog in their care is a nice touch, as I see it.

02-08-2014 01:33 PM

martemchik

Absolutely they should've been truthful with you, expecially because you asked. But I'm just pointing out why they might not have been. And I generally do trust people and think they have the best intentions in mind, but there's always a little bit of me that understands the business side of things and the need to make money. Sometimes, those businesses also have a hard time separating the regular pet owners from the more advanced ones.

02-07-2014 07:07 PM

wyoung2153

@Liesje: that does such and I would have been P.O.'d! It shouldn't matter if it was a quick overnight stay or a 2 week stay.. they should deliver what they promise as a pet care facility.. just unfortunate that we have to learn by trial and error because there are good ones out there. Makes me want to hurry up and retire so I can start my rescue and boarding facility so I can provide what's expected!

OP, I'm not trying to call you out, you just seem like one of those "super trusting" people

No you are absolutely right on the part of me believing people are good people.. trusting.. eh.. that's give or take depending on the situation. I do genuinely like to give people the benefit of the doubt and there's nothing wrong with that. It saves me from living a life in misery thinking every person I come into contact with has an agenda.. we weren't meant to think that everyone has bad intentions only a few are good.. it's unfortunate that mankind has turned into that though and I do honestly believe that there are more good than bad.. and yes.. it is a business and I see your point on that.. it's not that hard even for a person with no passion for dogs to understand a simple request... If he chases his tail I need to know. So I have every right to be upset that he was doing it without my knowledge or are you now going to say that "it's a business do you think they hirer people with common sense and common courtesy?" And if they do then that's a flaw in their business practice.. The point is to get people to come back right? Therefore being honest with me and offering your advice and services in a different manner might have solidified my return correct? If we're gonna break it down to a business vs actual caring people then fine.. it was still wrong on a business stand point and I have every right to be upset with how it was treated... on a "business" side of things.

I also had a weird experience with a dog daycare. There is this really nice "dog spa" in town that does grooming, daycare, and boarding. The runs all have special beds, TVs for dogs, etc. I just needed a place for my dog for 1 night. My sister usually helps out but she could not do it, though I had arranged for her to pick up my dog. This particular dog was more skittish, I didn't care as much about the daycare/playtime aspect, just wanted a nice, safe kennel. I told them they were welcome to do their temperament test and allow her to interact with dogs as they saw fit. The first annoying thing was when I dropped her off, I pre-paid and explained that my little sister would be picking her up the next day. While we were gone, I got this frantic message from my sister that when she tried to pick up Kenya they were asking her to pay. Mind you my sister was in high school at the time, she didn't have the $$$ or a credit card. That was annoying since I'd pre-paid and asked them that it was OK my sister pick up my dog and not be charged. The other weird thing was that when we got home and I was unpacking my dog's supplies, I found this note from one of the kennel staff saying she had sat with my dog and brushed the prickers out of her fur. It was like the note implied I'd dropped off a ratty dog. My dog had never had prickers in her fur, we lived in the city and our yard was a normal lawn, fenced. I was/am active in training, showing, trialing dogs so I always keep them cleaned, brushed, and well groomed. If she got prickers, it was at their facility. Nothing major but for the price that place charged I was a bit annoyed that they tried to charge my sister and got prickers in my dog's fur.

I would be annoyed a place was charging me and not telling me my dog was just chasing his tail. It's one thing to pay for boarding when you're in a pinch and just need a clean, safe kennel but obviously you are paying for the daycare aspect and the dog wasn't getting anything out of it.

02-07-2014 05:07 PM

martemchik

You can find them, but then you have to pay them, and the truth is, most of us would not be able to afford an 8 hour dog sitting session by a trained behaviorist. It's all about the free market.

I think too often we want doggy businesses to work just like their counterpart human businesses but its rarely so. Your vet is not like your doctor and the doggy day care just doesn't have to be like a kids day care.

OP, I'm not trying to call you out, you just seem like one of those "super trusting" people and ones that like to believe people are better than they really are. But think about it, the day care is connected to a vet clinic, why would that lead to better/more pet savy employees? Do you believe that a vet tech would want to baby sit dogs all day and pick up dog poop? People that went to extra schooling in order to do X, all the sudden accept doing X-5?

Pets are a passion just like all the other hobbies/jobs out there. There is no reason to believe that anyone dealing with dogs/dog training is actually out there because they love dogs so much that they're willing to do anything with them for any rate of pay. At the end of the day...making a living is just as important if not more important that doing something you're passionate about.

02-07-2014 01:59 PM

wyoung2153

^ yes to this. I agree in regards to not being a substitute for training. Which saddly is what I find a lot of people do as well.

I wish we had better places out here and that people would just start taking things like animal behavior seriously. I just can't understand some people who feel it is unimportant. It seems to me just as important as any other education since most households have pets. Not only that.. personally, I feel if it was taught in some manner more as a requirement (haven't figured logistics out in my head yet ) I don't think there would so many dog fights and ill behaviored dog, etc. I know in Germany when I was there at least.. it is required by law that you go to basic OB when the dog is 16 wks. You'll always have those exceptions and rule breakers but I can say that they take much better care of their animals and have much better facilities in that regard... but I digress.. way off topic, lol. sorry.

02-07-2014 12:51 PM

Freestep

Quote:

Originally Posted by martemchik

Most doggy day cares are staffed by minimum wage high school students that yes, are dog lovers, but in no way have enough experience to deal with many dogs. I doubt that most of them can read dogs the way some people on here can or understand what the "build up" is to a dog fight or a scuffle.

Good point, but I have to say there are SOME doggie daycare facilities that employ actual dog savvy-people, not high school kids. There's one in my town like this--it's run by a behaviorist and she hires experienced dog-people as staff, educates them, and continues to oversee the operation. She usually has 2-3 people monitoring the playcare at any given time, and fights/injuries are rare. Of course anytime you have a whole bunch of dogs running loose, there is the potential for trouble, and accidents are going to happen no matter what--that's the nature of play, and people kind of have to accept the risk that comes with it.

Still, I have mixed feelings about playcare. It can be great for some dogs, but too often, I see people using it as a substitute for training. The dog gets exercised and worn out, so he's better behaved when he comes home. However, what you have now is a strong, untrained, physically fit dog who is used to running loose and playing and wrestling and doing what he pleases all day. Nothing wrong with that until you're in a situation where there is unwanted behavior, the dog does not listen to the owner, and in fact can't be bothered to give a crap what the owner wants because he's never had any obedience training.

I see it a lot in my grooming salon. The dogs that go to playcare 2-3 times a week are generally happy-go-lucky, energetic, physically strong, and have a devil-may-care attitude. This is fine until I need the dog to do something that he may not necessarily want to do... like, get into the tub, stand still on the table, give me your foot (no this is not a game)... and ear cleaning is not an invitation for a wrestling match!

So, while doggie playcare is great for some dogs, giving them exercise, stimulation, and social skills, it's not a substitute for obedience training. You really need to do both.

02-07-2014 12:28 PM

wolfy dog

Quote:

Originally Posted by martemchik

I find it interesting that most people don't like dog parks, where YOU have to be with your dog and are able to control the dog's interactions, and yet something like doggy day care is perfectly acceptable. Most doggy day cares are staffed by minimum wage high school students that yes, are dog lovers, but in no way have enough experience to deal with many dogs. I doubt that most of them can read dogs the way some people on here can or understand what the "build up" is to a dog fight or a scuffle.

Not sure why people expect those employees to be better with dogs than they truly are. I mean, you realize that the cost of a training lesson with a GOOD instructor is anywhere from $50 to $100 an hour. Why do you expect the same type of knowledge when you're only paying $20 a day?

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